I want to do something to improve the overall driveablility of my 1990 FJ62. It has stock 4.11 gears and A440 trans with 33" tires. Will changing axles to 4.56 or droping in an H55F and keeping the stock gears provide greater driveability?
Re-Gear axles or H55F?
- Thread starter LifeIsGood
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Cruiserdrew
On the way there
H55f-the drivability will be much better and your existing diff gears are perfect with 33's. I would not bother to regear it.
agreed 4.11 will be good with the H55F. I have 3.70 with 33" and its okay, but 4.11 would be about right.
- Thread starter
- #4
Good to hear. With the FJ62 what else will I need to do the swap? Master, pedal, linkage from a 60? What else?
i'm collecting parts to do this
driveshafts
flywheel
clutch parts (disk, pressure plate, throwout bearing, slave and master cylinders etc)
bell housing
trans and shifter
there is more. cruiserparts.net lists a "manual trans conversion kit" for 750 + shipping. you provide the trans and clutch, they do the rest. i'm considering that route
driveshafts
flywheel
clutch parts (disk, pressure plate, throwout bearing, slave and master cylinders etc)
bell housing
trans and shifter
there is more. cruiserparts.net lists a "manual trans conversion kit" for 750 + shipping. you provide the trans and clutch, they do the rest. i'm considering that route
Is cost an issue here? Gears are going to be alot cheaper! But from what I hear the 5 spd upgrade is good if you like a manual tranny. (I do for awhile and then get old of it.) Then go back and forth. 
Go for the H55. You will need to make a rear mount for the tranny. And add the clutch pedal, master cylinder and all the stuff mentioned above. I was going to do this on my FJ-62 but I decided to put my 3FE in an 87 FJ-60 instead. From what I have heard the H55 is a great upgrade for the 3FE. The A440F robbs a little more power, and it harder to maintain and fix in the event of a faillure. The overdrive with the H55 is a little lower than the A440F (H55=3.45651 A440F=2.94687) but that should not be a problem. I was running 33s and 4.88s on my FJ-62 and IMO it was a little low for DD. 4.56 would have been perfect.
I need to install my gas tank, fuel lines and tranny and I will have my 3FE running on my H55 in my FJ-60. Just waiting for the spare time to install my parts.
Good luck in your build-up which ever way you go.
I need to install my gas tank, fuel lines and tranny and I will have my 3FE running on my H55 in my FJ-60. Just waiting for the spare time to install my parts.
Good luck in your build-up which ever way you go.
- Thread starter
- #8
As far as cost goes I guess I look at it like this. If I dump $1400 plus into a gear job once I'm through I have the same 200,000 mile trans to drive them. If I suck it up and do trans now for say $2500 I'll have a new transmission and have solved my gearing "problem." Also I suppose at some point my axles will need a rebuild, but that should be long after the trans goes. Is my logic flawed?
Cruiserdrew
On the way there
LifeIsGood said:
No. However, there is a good chance you could use new bearings in your rear diff anyway at 200k. It is very common for the pinion bearing to wear, and eventually cause a number of issues. I would base the decision on 1 thing. Do you want a manual transmission or not? If you do, than the H55f with your gears and tires is the hot ticket. If you want to stick with the auto, then get gearing to match what you want it to do.
The other great thing about an H55f is that it is a BRAND NEW transmission, and will likely be the last tranny work your cruiser will ever need in your lifetime. Your auto tranny is likely within 50k miles of the end anyway, so you will have to plan for it's eventual rebuild or replacement.
I'm not trying to sway you one way or the other, but make the fundamental transmission decision first, and then worry about your differential gearing.
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- Thread starter
- #10
I like driving a manual trans and have always prefered the extra control it offers, but I wouldn't consider the swap if there wasn't a need for regearing somewhere in the driveline. Basically my number one goal is to have a truck that is more driveable in everyday conditions. That is accellerates faster, merges better, and pulls mountains easier, and gets better fuel economy. I realize that it is a FJ62 and that there are limits to my bank account. So assuming it is either gears or tranny, it sounds like I should save for the tranny.
LifeIsGood said:
Hmm...I don't think the H55F is going to get you all of the above, expect marginal acceleration gains, no additional torque for uphills (in fact, it's going to be worse because the spread between 3rd and 4th is wide), and there won't be much change in the fuel economy (marginal gain at best).
The H55F is a great transmission but it's by no means a cure-all for the usual Cruiserhead complaints about drivability. To me it sounds like you're a better candidate for a FI-V8 conversion, maybe with a 700R4?
4:56's without question. Much cheaper and will make the truck respond much better. 62's should have come with them from the facory.
Or
4:88's and 35's
Oh and advance the timing 5 dergrees and then you will see a huge change in performance. They aare WAY!! retarded at stock settings.
Later,
Greg
Or
4:88's and 35's
Oh and advance the timing 5 dergrees and then you will see a huge change in performance. They aare WAY!! retarded at stock settings.
Later,
Greg
- Thread starter
- #15
Well then to explore the re-gear option.... Can anyone scan or send me a copy of the FSM axle rebuild section? I'm farily confident I can pull it all apart, put in the new bearings and seals, but I won't want to set up the gears. Is there anyone that sells third members loaded with 4.56 gears? Any good options other than taking it to a local shop to get it set up? Also who has the best deals on axle rebuild kits, gear install kits, and ring and pinions?
Cruiserdrew
On the way there
LifeIsGood said:
Doing the grunt work yourself and taking the diffs to a differential shop for gear install IS your best option.
For the axle kits, bearing sets and gears: www.cruiseroutfitters.com
Enjoy, but I don't think 4.11 to 4.56 will be enough change to make it worthwhile. ie, save your $ unless you truely have extra. It will pep it up a little off the line at the cost of top speed. These trucks just don't make a lot of power for their weight, and so the sluggishness is just proof that physics is the real deal.
I believe that a 3f-E with it's 20(heh, heh) extra HP would be a great match for an H55, and then the gears and tires you have now would be fine. Either way you go, it's going to cost you.
One other radical thought, that would pep it up like diff gears, is SMALLER tires. If you ran 31's it would be about the same as 33's and 4.56 and a whole lot cheaper. You are only giving up one inch of ground clearence. What are you really going to do with your truck that 1 inch will make any difference?
